Molly's Kids: Mom wants you to know her son who's beating the odds

You’re pregnant with your second child. You’re excited because it's somewhat unexpected. Months into the pregnancy doctors tell you there are complications. Your baby has Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, meaning he’ll be born with only half a heart. (Same condition as Greg Olsen’s son.)

Charlotte doctors send you to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. You live in Mooresville, work at Mitchell Community College in Statesville and now have two days to uproot it all and take your pregnant self to Philly in order to save your unborn baby.

Your son is born in Philadelphia, six weeks before he’s due.

You and your husband name him Hudson.

In the delivery room, doctors offer for the hospital chaplain to come quickly, baptize your newborn and get pictures in case you aren’t able to see him alive.

Hudson then goes into cardiac arrest.

Doctors put him on life support.

Then, to everyone’s surprise, he breathes on his own.

Your baby makes it through.

In the weeks and months to come, Hudson has to have several major surgeries.

You almost lose him a few times. But he fights. He always survives.

Now Hudson is 7 months old. He’s still in Philadelphia, awaiting his second open heart surgery.

He seems more stable.

You, meantime, are trying to live in Philadelphia with your baby, but often have to travel back-and-forth to Statesville so you don’t lose your job. Mitchell Community College has been nothing but tremendously helpful to you and your family, but the stress of it all is sometimes hard to handle.

And none of that even addresses your other child, a healthy 2-year-old named Graham who you sometimes worry about because everything else is so swirled.

What do you think if that’s your past year?

How do you handle and balance?

Ask Amy Sylvestre. All that is her reality.

Instead of complaining, she just wants to spread awareness about Congenital Heart Defects. She emailed me last week.

She said she's trying to be with Hudson in Philadelphia while also being with her family and career here.

“Thanks for reading my email,” she wrote near the end. “We are deeply thankful for the expert care Hudson’s receiving, but we can’t wait to come back home for good. We pray it’ll be as a family of four.”

So do we, Amy.

“And one more thing,” she added in what appeared as an afterthought. “We love Hudson so much and would have already been devastated without the support of others. Strangers have welcomed us into their homes, loaned us cars, donated food and funds. There are not sufficient words to express our gratitude.”

We live in a great community. Thank you for reminding us and sharing Hudson's story.

**Editor’s note: This is about one of #MollysKids, children WBTV Anchor Molly Grantham follows closely on her Facebook page. It was first published there – which is why it’s written in a personal way. For years Molly has followed hundreds of kids with uphill medical battles. Find this story and updates on all #MollysKids here.**